Welcome to the Media and Cultural Studies Department!
Analyze the culture. Create the media. Shape the future.
Students and faculty in Media and Cultural Studies produce media such as films, videos, podcasts, VR experiences, graphic novels, posters, sound design, digital storytelling, and more. We analyze the social and political impacts of media in contemporary culture; for example, we study anime, algorithms, environmental activism, carceral institutions, and resistance movements.
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Latest News
June 24, 2026
Graphic novelist’s work featured in immersive exhibition
A new exhibition at a Mississippi arts and cultural center explores the work of UC Riverside professor John Jennings in centering Black characters in graphic novels.
“John Jennings: Build Your World,” an immersive display of four of Jennings’ projects, opened June 20 at the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience, or the MAX, in Meridian, Mississippi. It will remain on view through spring 2027.
February 02, 2023
Ghost Light, Marvel’s new cosmic hero, is Black
The once human character is now a superhero, envisioned by UCR professor John Jennings.
January 25, 2023
Asian American shootings: This is ‘not an exception’ and other issues that need to be discussed
Farm working, mental health, and social and cultural barriers that some Asian American communities face.
January 18, 2023
Kid Kongo Powers: Post-punk, culture, and identity
Richard T. Rodríguez, UC Riverside professor of English and media and cultural studies, will host a joint reading and conversation with Kid Congo Powers, an author and musician widely known for being part of bands such as The Gun Club, The Cramps, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, as well as for leading his own group, The Pink Monkey Birds.